Coming to NYC for vacation &looking for ideas for your trip? This blog is dedicated to the New York City & Brooklyn Heights activities that I love. Many of my suggestions are traditional NYC tourist activities, however, there are also some off the beaten track gems for you to enjoy. Be aware, I live in Brooklyn Heights, so there are a lot of Brooklyn Heights activities and shops. I know it's not Manhattan, but I hope you make it to Brooklyn, it will be worth the trip.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Everyone knows some of the highlights of NYC include the Empire State Building, the Brooklyn Bridge, The Statue of Liberty, the Modern Museum of Art, the Met, the Natural Museum of History and Central Park when they are in NYC. However, over at Walking Off the Big Apple, Teri Tynes has compiled a list of 25 Great Things to do in NYC. The list includes:

1. Taking the Tram to Roosevelt Island2. Riding a bike through Times Square3. Find places mentioned in Breakfast at Tiffany's4. Visit Grant's Tomb

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Now that we live in NJ, I'm sure many of our visitors will want to hit up the NJ shores. Here are some options for getting ways to get to the beaches so you can get some rays posted on New York's Sixth.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Corporette.com has posted its 3rd from their NYC shopping guide series. This third installment really concentrates on deals (with a little window shopping thrown in for good measure ... cause it's free...) Below is a summary of her list of where to shop to get a steal:

1) Century 21 2) Macy's3) Sample Sales4) Woodbury Commons5) I'll make my own suggestion of Jersey Gardens since for our visitors it is close

If you want to see how the other half lives, and are content to do some window shopping, check out these locations:

Seriously though, check out the post on the website. It includes much more information than I've provided on my list such as more stores, what the stores are known for, directions, restaurants in the area to try, etc... For more (and there is much much more), check out the the website here: http://corporette.com/2009/06/25/where-to-shop-in-nyc-part-iii/

Friday, July 3, 2009

Normally, our visitors come to us to get ideas about what they should do while in town, and we're usually able to provide a list of our favorite places to eat, adn sometimes our favorite things to do. However, every once in a while someone who is visiting us turns us onto something in NYC that is so awesome we're amazed we've missed it. My SIL Ulrica introduced us to Max Brenner. This is chocolate nirvana, but they also have regular menu items for those crazy crazy people who aren't as in love with chocolate as I am.

This is the Union Square location, my favorite of the two.

This picture is just to give you an idea of how they incorporate the chocolate theme into all aspects of the restaurant, not just the menu.

And this loveliness is aptly called the "chocolate mess". I highly recommend it.

Below is a snippet from her post. For more (and there is much much more), check out the full post. Seriously. Click the link and check it out.

Starting at Houston and Broadway (and for those of you not familiar with New York, Houston is pronounced “How-ston,” not “Huw-ston”), head south along Broadway. Between Houston and Grand Street, you’ll find a slew of international stores that have limited locations in the United States, including Uniqlo (Japan), Zara (Spain), Mango (Spain), Eryn brinie (Korea), and TopShop (UK). All of these have reasonably-priced casual clothes, as well as a fair amount of work-appropriate clothes such as blazers, dresses, and blouses. Along this same stretch you’ll pass stalwarts such as Kenneth Cole, Banana Republic, A/X Armani Exchange, Express, Esprit, Aldo, Sephora, H&M, Steven by Steve Madden, and, of course, Bloomingdale’s. (The frozen yogurt at Bloomie’s is well worth a stop if you’re in the mood for a snack.) Also along this stretch is Madewell, J.Crew’s new store.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

A lot of our visitors are looking for great places to go shopping in NYC, places that aren't available in the average mall in suburbia. Unfortunately, I don't normally have advice on that front, but today I read an entry on Corporate.com, a blog that I frequent, which I think is particularly helpful. Don't forget to read the comments because there are some nuggets in there too:

Here is a sneakpeak of the posting at Corporette.com:

Ah, a leisurely day of shopping in NYC — what fun! Given your price range and your goals, we’d recommend a few different stretches, depending on your time and energy. First up, we’ll talk about the area we’ll call Lower Fifth Avenue. Photo: Flatiron Building, originally uploaded to Flickr by sunsurfr. (The Flatiron Building is at 23d and 5th. It’s beautiful, but not really noteworthy as a shopping destination in and of itself.)

Depending on where you’re coming from, you’ll want to start either at 22d and 5th Avenue and work your way south (along Fifth) or at 15th and 5th, and work your way north. Destination points for a good selection of work clothes, in your price range, include: Club Monaco, BCBG/Max Azria, United Colors of Bennetton, White House | Black Market, and Zara....

click here to read more (or copy and paste the following link: http://corporette.com/2009/06/18/reader-mail-where-to-shop-in-nyc-part-1/)

Thursday, June 11, 2009

A great place to go with kids or with a few girl friends is the American Girl store in Manhattan. The dolls are beautiful, they have a hospital, a photo studio, and a hair salon (for the dolls). If you're looking for an activity for the adults, there is an adorable restaurant in the top of the store. Check it out, it's a great girly thing to do in the city.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

One thing that I always find surprising about NYC is the number of boating activities that there are. A great way to spend a sunny afternoon in NYC is by heading to the Boat House in Central Park and renting a row boat.

You get to walk through the park, and maybe make a few detours, as well as getting to row on the lake with the fabulous NYC skyline as a backdrop. Consider bringing a snack or beverages for the boat ride, or for a picnic on the lawn afterwards.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

If you went out for dinner in NYC every single evening for your entire life, you could eat at a different restaurant every single evening. Unfortunately, B and I have our regular haunts and we have trouble convincing ourselves to deviate from our favorites. However, when Restaurant Week rolls around we are usually able to get ourselves to try something new.

I was very happy this morning when I read that Restaurant Week 2009 is being extended. Click HERE for more details about which restaurants are participating in the extended RW.

Follow this Link for more information about the "regularly scheduled" Restaurant Week.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Another of my favorite places, S'mac is a great food option in the city that is wallet friendly. You will leave S'mac full, happy, and better yet, the damage will only be $8-$12 per person. My favorite is the alpine with extra bacon. The cheeseburger mac n' cheese is another favorite.

Don't get discouraged if there is a line and no place to sit when you walk in. The turn over is pretty quick, so by the time your mac n' cheese is ready to be eaten, you'll have a table.

If you eat your mac n' cheese at the restaurant, you will be given a number so that the waiters can find you when your mac n' cheese is finished. The cheesy goodness is served in a cast iron skillet that has baked to perfection keeping the outside crispy and the inside ooey gooey (this is technical jargon).

If the weather is nice, consider ordering your mac n' cheese to go and head over to Tompkins Square Park a few blocks away (Avenues A to B, and East 7 to East 10 streets).

You might not believe me when you see the cast iron dishes, but a Nosh sized mac n' cheese is more than enough for one person. However, if you have a little room after you've finished, consider heading over to ChikaLicious (203 E. 10th St.) or the Dessert Club (204 E. 10th Street) for dessert.

Warning, these are not activities for those who are on a diet. However, if you want to take the weekend off from your diet, S'mac is definitely worth it!

Saturday, January 31, 2009

When it's cold outside, I want comfort food. There aren't many foods that I find more comforting than chocolate. Mmmm... Cho-co-late....

The Chocolate Room has been a long standing staple in Park Slope, however I don't generally stray that far so I was thrilled when they recently opened a second location in Cobble Hill. When you arrive, you are greeted with water and a free sample of a chocolate treat (there are also generally free samples at the to go counter).

The dessert menu has a little something for everyone. If you don't like chocolate, don't worry, there is ice-cream, milkshakes, cookies, even wine and beer (both alcohol and root) on the menu to make and keep you happy.

Whether you're out with the kids, a few friends, or you're on a date, the Chocolate Room is a Cobble Hill must do. In fact, why not make a stop at the Cobble Hill movie theater next door for a blockbuster or independent flick before or after your chocolate treats to round out your day.

This place is so tasty that a few of my friends from Queens have taken 2 pilgrimages to Brooklyn in the last month, simply for the Chocolate Brown Sundae. They came, they ate, they conquored, they drove back to Queens, but not before making a date with me to meet them at the Chocolate room in two weeks.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Most people have had the opportunity to go ice-skating while growing up, but there is something that is just extra special about ice skating in NYC. The ability to glide on the ice while looking at the sky scrapers surrounding you make ice skating in New York such a novelty.

This is a great way to break up a day of eating, shopping, and show seeing and it is a great option for people who like to keep your body moving, have kids, or need something romantic to do on a date.

Luckily, there are a lot of ice skating options in NYC to suit a variety of geographic limitations, budgets, and scenery preferences.